Reviews

I love British comedies and I love spoofs of 80s TV shows. But this seems to be neither a very funny comedy nor a successful parody. I think aesthetically they have the 80s style of a Glen Larson show down pat but that's where the joke ends (and it gets repeated over and over again). I think that satire works best when there is a certain seriousness and earnestness to the writing and the performances, that the characters aren't in on the joke. That doesn't seem like the case here. This just seemed like it was riding on the strength of how weird and wacky the 80s were for TV production and for bad writing and acting. One joke. But the show doesn't go further and becomes just as bad a show or worse than the ones that would have been cancelled in the 80s. I think they could have taken the aesthetic but had tighter, more comedic writing. I like Richard Ayoade and Matt Berry in IT Crowd who are mostly wasted in this show.

No this show is not the best comedy since The Office, that award goes to Peep Show which is something I recommend people go and check out. Alternatively The Mighty Boosh or Spaced are miles ahead in creativity and humour.

I just saw this film at the Toronto Film Fest and this is what Josie and The Pussycats should have been. This charming little Japanese film will have you singing the Blue Hearts title song over and over. A group of aspiring teenage girls form a band to perform for the high school rock festival, can they get it together? Kudos to Nobuhiro Yamashita for putting together such a cute and impressive cast of young women who make up the band who are all skilled actresses. This is a sweet film that will win over any teenage girl who ever thought that they could start an indie band (but also wins over an adult crowd with it's modest charm and it's humor). Fans of Japanese female bands like Shonen Knife and the 5678s will also dig this film I think.

BAE Du-Na (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Take Care of My Cat) as Song wins my vote as the most endearing oddball in this film who wins you over with her big eyes and teenage awkwardness (not to mention a lot of funny misunderstandings because she is a Korean exchange student who speaks little Japanese). Generally this is a movie that will be talked about a lot I think when it gets a full release. Hands down one of the best at the Toronto fest this year (2005).

The english dubbed version has some of the worst audio mixes I have ever come across. The dialogue is way too low and sits far behind the foley and environmental sounds. Watching this had me longing for non-foley quiet sections of the film. Dubbing is by far one of the worst things that can be done to a foreign film and this is an all-time low. It's noisy and annoying in all the wrong places. Maybe American film fans can finally learn to read subtitles and save us from earaches like this.

Generally an ok film ruined by a slow and plodding plot and an even worse audio interpretation and mix. Cassels dubs are terrible and the guy who does his voice is an amateur.